That’s more than I can say for human beings.

[diamondcutter]

“My what-if question was, What if I played music to flowers?” Andrea said. “What kind would help them grow?”
That had to be the dumbest experiment in the history of the world.
Inside the box Andrea had four flower pots. She made all these charts and graphs to show what she did. Teachers love that stuff.
“I played Beethoven for flower number one,” Andrea said. “Flower number two heard jazz music. Flower number three listened to rock and roll. And with flower number four, I sang the songs of my favorite show, Annie.”
Andrea started singing that dumb song about the sun coming out tomorrow.
“I’m surprised that flower number four didn’t die,” I whispered to Ryan.
“And what was your conclusion, Andrea?” asked Mr. Docker.
“Number four grew tallest,” she said.
“So my conclusion is that flowers like to hear me sing.”
That’s more than I can say for human beings.

Source: Mr. Docker Is Off His Rocker, Dan Gutman

The last sentence is what the hero of the novel, A.J. thinks about the girl, Andrea. I think A.J. means Andrea is boosting herself by saying the sentence: That’s more than I can say for human beings.

What do you say?

 

[Tarheel]

it's very funny. It means he doesn't think Andrea is much of a singer.

 

[emsr2d2]

He's adding his opinion that, although flowers like to hear her sing, human beings don't.

 

[diamondcutter]

I still don’t quite understand that sentence. Would you please take some time to paraphrase it for me? Is “That’s more than I can say for...” a sentence pattern? Could you make some sentences using it?

 

[Tarheel]

I disagree that his comment has to do with what he thinks about Andrea. Instead, it's what he thinks of her singing. (It's not to same thing.)

Don't they have humor in Chinese?

 

[diamondcutter]

It’s hard to translate the sentence to Chinese because what it means is not direct. Could I read it to mean this?

The degree of ugliness of Andrea’s singing is far beyond the limits of human tolerance.

 

[Tarheel]

@diamondcutter First, I don't know what the first sentence means. Second, your sentence is not funny at all.

Matt is saying that while plants might like her singing, that's not true with people.

I think it's funny, but you clearly do not get the humor.

I don't think translating to Chinese helps.

 

[diamondcutter]

I think I'm beginning to understand.
The naughty boy A.J. means he can’t make the same conclusion for human beings. That is to say, human beings are most likely not to like her singing.

 

[Tarheel]

Yes, I think you're getting it now.

 

[emsr2d2]

The naughty boy A.J. means he can’t make the same conclusion for human beings. That is to say, human beings are most likely not to like her singing.

Isn't that what you understood from my post #3?

 

[5jj]

The naughty boy A.J. means he can’t make the same conclusion for human beings.

Do you know from what you've read earlier that this person is a naughty boy?

 

[diamondcutter]

Yes, I do. The book is from a series named My Weird School. Each book begins with this sentence: My name is A.J. and I hate school.

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes, I do. The book is from a series named My Weird School. Each book begins with this sentence: My name is A.J. and I hate school.

Saying that you hate school doesn't mean you're naughty.

 

[diamondcutter]

Sorry that I didn’t give examples. Here are some.
He doesn’t do homework.
He plays tricks on girls.
He deliberately misinterprets the teacher's words.
He put a thumbtack on the homeroom teacher’s chair.
He made fun of the substitute teacher.
...
Considering these things, could we use “naughty” to describe him?

 

[emsr2d2]

Sorry that I didn’t give examples. Here are some.
He doesn’t do homework.
He plays tricks on girls.
He deliberately misinterprets the teacher's words.
He put a thumbtack on the homeroom teacher’s chair.
He made fun of the substitute teacher.
...
Considering these things, could we use “naughty” to describe him?

Yes, or disruptive. He's on the road to suspension or exclusion.

 

[Tdol]

It’s hard to translate the sentence to Chinese because what it means is not direct. Could I read it to mean this?

The degree of ugliness of Andrea’s singing is far beyond the limits of human tolerance.

That is excessive.

He's implying that most people don't like her singing, even if flowers do. How about thinking of it like this:

“So my conclusion is that flowers like to hear me sing.”
That’s more than human beings do.